Auto lock



Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES ossia A AUTO LooK Victor L. Gilpin, Baltimore, Md., assgnor to Gilpin Autolock Corporation, a corporation of Maryland Application October 29,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in locks, especially for automobiles and other motor vehicles and its objects are as fol1ows:A

First, to make the locking bolt in the form of a screw, and to provide alocking lever by which to screw the bolt into locking and unlocking positions by turns in the proper direction.

Second, to provide a so-called adapter as'the intermediary between the locking bolt and lever, said adapter being capable of being moved into a gripping position between said bolt and the hub of the locking lever by a turn of the key plug in the proper direction after a key has been inserted in the plug for the purpose.

Third, to combine a novel switch with the locking lever, or some other part turned thereby, for controlling the-starter motor and ignition circuits.

Fourth, to provide a spring ejection for the key when the lock is finally locked, said ejectionconsisting of a simple mechanism embodied in the key plug and capable of operation bythe key either with a gear or friction drive.

Other objects and advantages will appear in` ethe following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:y

Figure 1 is a perspective view ofthe improved lock, the locking lever being shown in the unlocked position. f

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, the adapter being shown in the position in which it is left at the end of the half counter-Clockwise turn of the locking lever for unlocking.

Figure 4 is a cross section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 but differing in the showing of the positions of the parts mainly to illustrate how the leaf tumbler re-engages the lock casing upon withdrawal of the key.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the abutment end of the locking bolt.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the plug cylinder, particularly illustrating the adapter.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical switch, particularly illustrating the contactor cylinder in its various positions.

Figure 8 is a fractional diagram of the same switch, later described in detail.

Figure 9 is a detail sectional view of one end of the contactor cylinder.

Figure 10 is a detail sectional View mainly of 1934, Serial No. 750,582`

(Cl. 'l0-185) portions of the key plug and key, illustrating the spring-operated key ejector.

In carrying out the invention provision is made of a look casing, generally designated I, which comprises a hub 2 to receive the tubing 3 of the steering post Il, a bolt cylinder 5 and a bracket 6 which is securable to any convenient fixed support 'I by securing means 8.y The tubing 3 has an openingl 9 (Fig. 2) inv permanent registration with the bore I0 of the cylinder 5. The steering post 4 has an opening II which is smaller than the opening 9 but coaxial with the bore I0 vwhen the openings are in registrationfor locking.

A counterbore I2 in the cylinder 5 xedly contains a hard metal ller I3 hereinafter known as the nut. This has an internal screw thread passage I4. The counterbore is longer than the nut, its extension I5 terminatingr inan annular bead I6. A set screw I'I carried by the cylinder 5, projects into the extension I5.

A bolt IS is freely movable in the bore I0 of the cylinder 5 and in the bore of the nut I3. The two bores are continuous. The bolt has an external screw thread I9 which occupies the passage I4. This bolt is herein known as a screw bolt because of its having the external thread. vIts movement is both axial and rotary, and as it moves axially it turns, thereby either locking or unlocking the steering post 4 with respect to the fixed bolt cylinder 5 providing that the openings 9, lI are in registration as stated.

Actual locking is accomplished by a center plug 20. This enters the opening II when the screw bolt I8 is projected toward the steering post 4. The adjacent end of the screw plug is beveled at ZI. This bevel reduces the possibility of the screw bolt -being impeded by aslight non-regis tration of the opening 9 and bore I0. Under such a condition the opening 9 would expose an edge in the bore I0. If the full diameter of the screw bolt were carried out to the end it would be obstructed by said edge. The bevel 2| sets the diameterof the screw bolt back, so to speak, to the extent of the bevel and so avoids the foregoing possibility. l

If the two openings 9, II are in axial registration the plug will immediately enter the opening I I upon a clockwise turn of the screw bolt I8 (looking at it from right to left). Should the openings be out of axial registration the center plug would be stopped but the screw bolt would make its full thrust nevertheless. A spring 22 then yields. Upon turning the steering post II a little in one direction or the other the center plug will soon snap into the opening I I. The spring is contained by the screw bolt, and one end of the plug 29 is engaged by the spring.

That end of the screw bolt I8 opposite to lthe bevel 2I has an abutment 23 (Fig. 5). This is in the nature of a segmental shell. 'I'he ends 24, 25 mark the limits of the abutment. An adapter or gripper, generally designated 2S, is located within the connes of the abutment. One or the other of the ends 24, 25 is engageable by the adapter at which time it occupies a gripping l10- sition which compels turning of the screw bolt when turning motion is applied to the adapter.Y

The adapter is of aV shape substantially as. illustrated in Figure 6. It consists of an..elongated,

loop 21 which houses an eccentric pin 28. Motion of the pin in a circular path actuates the adapter. The loop 21 is formed-with a strong lug 29 which, in itself, operates as a locking bolt.-

It is the lug 29 which engages either abutment end and through saidrengagement causes turningV of the screw bolt Iwhenturning power is applied as stated.

The eccentric pin 28 is part'of a key yplug 39 (Fig. 2). The pin 28 is off-centered with respect to the key plug, hence is eccentric in its location. Turning of the key plug movesvthe eccentric pin 28 on its circular path so that the'adapter 26 is moved across theend` ofy the key plug. When thus moved it slides in the slot 3| of a plug cylinder 32 which is xed in the hub of the locking lever. The inner end of the plug cylinder ex tends up to the loop 21. The lu'g 29 'projects outwardly from the loop (to the right) and'occupies the slot 3I Turning of the plug cylinder,

by means Aof `the locking lever, therefore causes turning of the screw bolt I8 through the intermediary adapter 26, said adapter and the confronting Yparts ofthe shell 23 and cylinder 32 with which itcoacts constituting a clutch mechanism.

Only one of several leaf tumblers 33j in `the plug39 is shown in the drawing (Figs. 2 and 4). The key plug isof a known manufacture having no concern with. the invention excepting insofar as the leaf tumbler is concerned. This tumbler is projectable from the key plug by spring action through holes 34 and 35 (Fig. 4) in the cylinder 32 and hub of the locking lever into anopening 36 inthe cylinder 5 of the lock casing. The key 31 has aformation 38 which, when it passesY through the slotted aperture ,of the tumbler upon pushing the key in, displaces the tumbler inwardly into the confines of the plug 30 (Fig. 2) so that the locking lever hub is no longer locked against turning with respect to the lock casing. The plug hasa key hole 39 (Figs. 2 and v10) into which the key is insertedpreparatory to its beingl given a quarter turn in the clockwise direction, this being the first act leading up to unlocking.

The hub, previously mentioned, is designated 40,'this being the'hub ofthe locking lever 4I. This. hub has a bore 42 and a counterbore 43. The cylinder 32' is fixed, as previously indicated, in the counterbore 43, and its inner slotted end extends into the space afforded by the vbore 42. The plug cylinder is prevented from coming out by a flanged lockiring 44 which isflxed in the outer end of the counterbore 43. The bore 42 has a pair of diametrically opposite recesses 45, 45 (Fig. 3) into one or the other of which the lug 29 is projectable in order to key vthe bolt screw I8 and hub 40 together. The adapter26together with the abutment ends 24, '25' and hub recesses 45, 46 comprises an intermediary structure between the locking lever and the bolt, causing motions of the bolt when the lever is shifted.

The hub 49 is, obviously, cylindrical, and it turnably occupies the extension I5 as plainly shown. It has an annular recess near the outer end which contains the bead I6. The cylindrical part has an annular groove-41 into which the point il' of the set screw extends so as to pre- Vent the locking lever from being pulled away from the bolt cylinder 5.

Close to the entrance of the key hole 39 in the key'plug 30 there is a chamber 48 (Fig. 10). This contains a gear wheel 49 which is revoluble onashaft 50 xed in the chamber. The opposite ends of a spring 5I are attached to the respective gear and shaft in such a manner that when the pinion is turned clockwise the spring will ybe' wound up.

This winding is accomplished by the toothed back 52 of the-key 31. The teeth compose a rack, and the rack is formed on the other side of the key opposite tothat having the formation 38. Upon the original insertion of the key the engagement of the rack with the gear turns the latter to wind up the spring. The spring will then be under sufficient tension to Vforcibly eject the'key should the operator fail to give it the initial clockwise quarter turn in beginning to unlock,v or to remove the key from the lock plug when finally locking up.

When the key is given the foregoing initial turn a lug 53 (Fig. 10) on the key rides beyond a ange 54 on the lock ring 44 and so is prevented from being ejected. vThe key remains in the lock asA long as the mechanism is in an actual unlocked condition or is about to be put into that condition. In practice the foregoing gear drive can be substituted by a friction drive. In that case the gear 49 would be a friction wheel, and the rack 52 would be substituted by the more or less plain backof'the ,key which, upon engaging the wheel wouldV cause turning.

A novel switch is so combined with the automobile lock that its loperationoccurs simultanei ously with locking and unlocking the steering post 4 as the locking lever 4I is swung for that purpose. The switchcomprises a housing 55 which is secured to the bolt cylinder 5 in any proper way. It is preferably made of insulating material, and its mounting on the cylinder 5 includes an insulating shield 56. It has an internal space 51. (Fig. 3), the outer wall of which has pairs of contacts. 58,` 59 imbedded in it. The rst pair is wired up in the starter motor circuit, for which purpose there are two terminals 69, 6I (Fig. 3). The second pair is wired up to the ignition circuit (Fig. '2), forwhich purpose thereare two other terminals 62, 63.

A contactor 64, not necessarily of cylindrical form as shown, is adapted to move back and forthv in the space 51 in a circular path as the locking lever 4I` is swung. To this end the hub 40 of the locking lever carries a bracket 65 (Fig.

2) to which the shaft 66 of the contactor is fixed. The contactor is mounted on the shaft with somewhat of a tight t, but is adapted to turn a little rst to one side and then the other so that -v its contact strip 61 may either be in position to engage the pairs of contacts 58, 59 to close the respective circuits, or ,to disengage them thereby to open the circuits.

This turning of the contactor is accomplished automatically, and it involves the following struc i 12, secured at one end to the pivot 1I and having its other end bent around that side of the nger remote from the stop 69, exercises pressure on the iinger toward the stop so as to keep the finger and stop in engagement excepting one time (Fig. 8).

An enlargement 13 of the space v51 provides room for the finger 19. It is into this enlargement that two studs 14, 15 project. They are placed in radial directions with respect tothe axis of the cylinder 5, but project into the enlargement 13 from opposite directions, the rst being located on the outer wall, the second on the inner Wall. The stud 15 is bevelled at 16.

The operation is readily understood. The leaf tumbler 33 (Fig. .4) is projected from the plug 39 by spring action when the key 31 is removed from the plug, and on the presumption that the opening 3S is in registration with the holes 34, 35 the leaf tumbler enters the opening and secures the locking lever hub 49 against turning with respect to the xed lock casing. Locking between 5 and 49 by means of the tumbler 33 occurs only when the key 31 is out of the lock. It is not possible to close the starter motor or ignition circuits while the key is out of the lock. Insertion or the key retracts the tumbler 33 when reached by the formation 38. The spring 5I (Fig. is wound up at the same time.

At the time of insertion of the key 31 the adapter 26 is in a neutral position, that is to say, the lug 29 is free from each of the abutments 25, 25 (Fig. 5), and naturally free from the recesses 15, 46. The mere insertion of the key, as explained, releases the locking lever so that it could be swung to close the starter motor and ignition circuits without unlocking the car, should that procedure be desired.

The immediate description is predicated on the mechanism being in the locked. position, not as shown in Figures l, 2- and 3 which illustrate the Y unlocked position. The key 31 is inserted (repeating what has been stated already) and given a clockwise turn to the right. The eccentric pin 29 moves the adapter 26 out of its neutral position so that the lug 29 enters the recess 46 and engages the abutment end 25. The abutment 23 is then at the left of the diagonal center n instead of at the right as at Figure 3.

Turn the locking lever 4I counter-clockwise from the upper center position (not shown) to the lower center position (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) Remember that the lug 29 and hub 49 are locked together. The push of the lug is against the end 25. That end is part of the bolt screw IB. The push turns the screw counter-clockwise and moves it away from the steering post 4 into the unlocked position. There is a slip connection between the lug 29 and the abutment 23 so that the axial motion of the bolt screw is provided for.

Upon desiring to relock the car it is necessary to shift the lug 29 to the uppermost position in Figure 3. The lug must contact the end 24 so vthat a clockwise turn of the locking lever 4l in the direction of arrow 11 will impart a clockwise turn to the bolt screw I8 and move it into the locking position. In order to shift the lug 29 the key is given a 180 turn in the clockwise direction. This reverses the position of the eccentric pin 28, and also of the lug 29 so that it engages the hub recess 45. The foregoing clockwise turn in the directionof arrow 111'r`estores the mechanism to the 'locked condition. A f

Consider'the electrical switch. The contactor 64 is in the position a. (Fig."1) while the locking lever 4| 'is in the unlocking position l(Fig. 1). The contactor is diametrically opposite to the locking lever. Upon turning the latter in the clockwise direction (arrow 1.1, Fig. 3) the contactor 64 will be Vturned in the counter-clockwise direction on its shaft66 when the nger 19 engages the stud 14 as illustrated at position b'(Fig. '1) Up to this time the Contact strip 61 bridged the ignition contacts 59, but upon the counterclockwise turn of the contactor 64 the strip was moved out of bridging position (position b) thereby opening the ignition circuit. 1

Continued clockwise motion of the locking lever 4I brings the contactor 64 to position c (Fig. 7) The engagement of the lug 69 with the stud 15 turns the. contactor clockwise until the lug clears the stud as shown at position d. During this clockwise turn the finger 19 is restored lto its original radial position (position d) and remains there while the locking lever is moved the f remaining. distance (position e) and is 'later started on the return journey preparatory to unlocking the steering post.

rAssume that the locking'lever is in the locking position (diametrically opposite to the position in Figures 1-.and-3).` `This shifts the adapter. 26 to the original neutral position. The `bolt I8 and hub 49 are not clutched together anyflonger.

The key 31 is given a final quarter turn clockwise. 'Ihe lug 53 will then be in linewith an opening 80 (Fig. l) yin the flange 5,4 Vat oneside of the key hole 39.- The lug 53 lwas passed through kthe opening 89 upon the original insertion of the key. 'I'he subsequent quarter and half turns moved the lug 53 farther away from the opening 89, and it is not until the final quarter turn in the same direction that the lug was again brought into registration with the opening, enabling the operator to withdraw the key.

Should he fail to ldo this the stored tension in the spring 5| will eject the key. The removal or ejection of the key permits the projection of the tumbler to the locking position (Fig. 4) so that the hub 49 is secured to the lock casing.

Revert to initially unlocking the mechanism. As this concerns the electrical switch, the contactor 64 is moved'from position e to position a. The lug 68 passes under the stud 15 without the contactor 64 being affected, the bevel 16 insuring a free passage. As the finger 19 (position f, Fig. 8) passes the stud 14 it simply retracts against the tension of the spring 12 but immediately springs back to the radial position g when the stud 14 is passed, and this without turning the contactor on its shaft B6.

It will be seen that when the contactor was last turned into the position e thecontact strip 91 was placed into the proper position for engaging the contacts 58, 59. As these are passed the starter motor circuit is rst closed and then the ignition circuit. The breach between the two sets of contacts is so small that the starting impulse will not be lost. Should the engine be stalled while driving in trafiic the operator has only to press upon a button 13, (Fig. 3). This is known as the stall switch, and its contactor 19 will bridge the starter motor contacts 58 and start the engine again.

I claim:-

1. A lock comprising a nut having an internal screw thread passage, a bolt having a thread permanently occupyingstheL-,passage `andtaclapted to make endwise motions back tand forth when turned withi reference to .theznut,V a locking lever which isV turnab'lef on', the axis of the bolt ,'butl inria xed position with-reference vtheretozso as tofassume locking .andzunlockin'g positions, and .an intermediary key-operated clutch mechanismibetween the lever and boltwtransmittingthe turning of the level' to'. the bolt, said'fmechanism having a slip connection with' thelbolt compensating for its endwise-motions.

2. A lock comprising vra nut having 'a screw thread, aboltin permanently threaded connectionwith the nut and'adaptedtosmake endwise motions whenturned with respect to theinut, a locking lever whichtis 'turnable Aon the axis of the bolt'intoc locking andzunlocking :positions, an adapter Whichis turnable .with said'lever, and means by vwhich the 'adapter is ,coupled to the bolt, said-means having aislipiengagement so:as to maintain connectionlbetween the-lever and bolt during endwise motions;of the,v latter.

'3..A locky comprising a nut having Va :screw thread, a-boltxpermanently screwed onthe nut soI asi to .make endwise motions: into locking iand unlocking .positions vwhen turned with 'reference to the nut, a locking leverturnable 'on the axis fof the bolt'to'produceisaid motionsyanadapter which'acts as a gripper,means by'which to shift Vthe adapter to va gripping position, and means `respectivelyfon'the bolt and locking lever providing a slip `connection by which the adapter is coupled -when in said position.

4. -A lock comprising a screw bolt, a xed nut in which the bolt is turnable to cause endwise motions into locking and unlocking positions, and manually turnable meansA having ab slip connection withthe bolt ,toproduce said motions.

V5.. A lockacomprising a 'screw bolt, ra. nutw into which the boltristhreaded 'so as to make endwise motions into locking and unlocking .positions when turned with respect to the nut,`an

.abutment which is partof the bolt, an adapter whichhas a slip engagement with the abutment, a key plug whichhas an eccentric fpin car- Atothe bolt, a plug cylinder turnably containing the plug and'having a slotted extension, a locking lever hubxedly Vcarrying said cylinder and having a recess, and an adapter guided in the A slotted extension, saidadapter comprising a yoke containing thefeccentric pin and a lug engaging at least one of thelabuttable ends and entering said recess upon turning the key plug.

'7. In a lock, a screw bolt having a segmental Ashell comprising an abutment having'abuttable ends, a turnable key plug having an eccentric pin, a locking lever having a hub withdiametrivcally oppositevrecesses, said lever being'turnable to turn the screw bolt,'and an adapter which is movable to an operative position'by turning the key plug in one direction, said adapterhaving4 a yoke in which the eccentric pin works, and a lug simultaneously engaging one of the ends and one of the recesses.

VICTOR-L. GILPIN. 

